Jarlshof has presented evidence of nearly 5,000 years of human activity on the one site whose dramatic location on a headland overlooking the West Voe of Sumburgh was revealed after a storm in the 1890s.
Archaeologists have since discovered its secrets in the oval-shaped Bronze Age houses, Iron Age broch and wheelhouses, Norse long houses, a medieval farmstead, and a laird’s house dating from the 1500s.
You can visit the Iron Age broch and wheelhouses, amazingly preserved despite the sea’s best efforts. See the traditional Norse longhouse, still clearly visible, which was at the heart of the Viking communities which set up in the Northern Isles in early medieval times. View the rich collection of artefacts spanning the different epochs in the visitor centre, many of which reveal evidence of trade and links across Scotland and Europe.
It was Sir Walter Scott who named the site "Jarlshof" meaning earl's house long before the storm uncovered the ancient remains.
Opening Hours: 1 April to 30 September:
Monday to Sunday, 9.30am to 5.30pm
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